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What is it?

Archetypal old-stager based on a design by Lotus founder Colin Chapman 50-odd years ago, the Seven is a two-seat tub with wheels. Stripped and spartan, it remains a seminal driving experience for those interested in driving rather than simply travelling.

Equipped with modern engines and brakes, plus a kerbweight of (usually) around 550kg, the Seven can scare even the most outrageously powerful supercars – helped in part by modest dimensions and steering that connects direct to your brain. The core range is familiar but there are two new bookend additions; a sweet Suzuki 660cc turbo-engined Seven 160 (80hp but still 0-60mph in 6.5 seconds), and the 620 R, which pumps out 310bhp from a 2.0-litre Duartec in a 500kg car. That’s 620bhp per tonne, fact fans, and 0-60mph in 2.8 seconds. Uncomfortable, cramped and noisy, with a devastatingly crappy fabric hood arrangement that’s harder to put up than a broken tent, it remains a TG favourite.

Driving

As with anything very light, the Seven is connected in a way that a big, powerful supercar can never be. Unassisted steering means that the information fed back through your palms about what the front wheels are doing is exceptional, and sitting next to the back axle means that you can react very quickly to slides or movement. Sitting next to the back axle also means that you’ll feel every single pimple on the road, lose the feeling in your legs and be low enough to be lost under a decently-sized artic, but you pays your money…

On the inside

The inside of Caterham’s little car is basic and can be described as classic. Flat dash, dials, wheel, pedals. It’s tight in there (albeit slightly less so if you option the ‘SV’ wide-body chassis) and not comfortable. The roof is a horror, and in winter you’ll slow-roast your left thigh against the transmission tunnel while getting frostbite from the gaps in the fabric doors. There’s not much more to it than that.

Owning

Even though the Seven remains the most basic of sports cars, on the right day, and when the sun is shining and the right set of bends has opened up, there’s nothing quite like it. Your eyeballs will vibrate, your back vertebrae will fuse, but your smile will be almost rictus. Manage to tame one of the really quick versions and you’ll be crowned a hero – the 620 R is one of the most sickeningly rapid cars around a track, though the Supersport R with less than half the power is just as much fun. Honourable mention for the 160, too. Skinny tyres rule. Insurance and tax depend on engines, so it’s worth checking out what you can get for the cash.